Ernest Tomlinson (1924-2015): Silverthorn Suite

One of Ernest Tomlinson’s most delightful offerings is the short Silverthorn Suite, completed during the 1950s. Gardeners will know that Silverthorn is a large, fast-growing shrub that is often planted in hedgerows or along roads, as it can quickly give screening. Yet, despite the horticultural overtones, Tomlinson did not derive his title from any such pastoral musings. It is much more prosaic than that. Back in the day, when BT was called the GPO, telephone exchanges had names, rather than numbers. Many bore some relation their location, others did not. For example NAT was National and covered the City of London (Moorgate): REN was Renown for the Fulham area. At the time of writing the Suite, Tomlinson was living in Chingford, Essex. The telephone exchange there was SILverthorn. 

The Silverthorn Suite is written in three short movements, lasting for about ten minutes. The opening Alla Marcia is flamboyant and extravagantly scored. The middle section is a little more relaxed. The Marco Polo CD liner notes by Tim McDonald rightly point out that this march is “singularly un-martial in character, notwithstanding the prominence of a side-drum.” It is the sheer exuberance of the Essex countryside on a hot summer’s day. Evening comes with the second movement. This is a lushly orchestrated Canzonet. This title means quite simply “a little song” perhaps a light songs or short and simple air from an opera. Tomlinson has created a wistful little number that is “shot through with lyricism.”  It is the heart of this Suite. The finale is a Concert Jig, that is full of vivacity. Once again, the listener will be struck by the elaborate scoring and a sense of momentum as the work reaches its conclusion.

Ernest Tomlinson’s Silverthorn Suite can be heard on Marco Polo 8.223413. It has been uploaded to YouTube: Alla Marcia, Canzonet, Concert Jig.